University of Rhode Island

Posting Number SF01995

Job Title Senior Information Technology (IT) Project Manager

Position Number 107165

FTE 1.00

FLSA Exempt

Position Type Professional Staff

Union PSA/NEA - Professional Staff Assoc

Pay Grade Level Grade Level: 15

Pay Grade Range Anticipated Hiring Salary Range: $90,000 - $125,000

Status Calendar Year, Full-time, Permanent

Department Info Tech Services

Contact(s)

Please note: Job applications must be submitted directly online only at: (https://jobs.uri.edu)

Contact Phone/Extension

Contact Email

Physical Demands

Campus Location Kingston

Grant Funded No

Extension Contingency Notes

Job Description Summary

The search will remain open until the position has been filled.

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About URI:

The University of Rhode Island enrolls approximately 17,000 students across its graduate and undergraduate programs and is the State’s flagship public research university, as well as the land grant and sea grant university, for the state of Rhode Island. The main campus is located in the historic village of Kingston, and the Bay Campus is located in Narragansett. Both campuses are near major beaches in a beautiful coastal community. URI is just 30 minutes from Providence, RI and within easy reach of Newport, Boston, and New York City.

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Please Note: THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A REMOTE/HYBRID WORK SCHEDULE IS POSSIBLE.

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BASIC FUNCTION:

In this senior-level role reporting directly to the CIO, you will spearhead the development of a centralized project and portfolio management function within ITS. Your focus will be on establishing and formalizing project management practices, working collaboratively to bring structure, governance, and strategic oversight to project execution while building and overseeing a portfolio of complex IT projects that support the university’s strategic goals. You will serve as a strategic leader and internal consultant, training and supporting ITS leadership and team members in project management methodologies and best practices.

You will also provide oversight of the ITS project portfolio, ensuring projects are strategically aligned, properly prioritized, and consistently executed. A key responsibility will include coordinating ITS contributions to the university’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) migration from PeopleSoft to Workday, aligning efforts across technical teams, functional leads, external partners, and university stakeholders.

This is a unique opportunity to build a culture of project management while working alongside a highly collaborative team of ITS professionals who are committed to strategic execution and continuous improvement.

Duties and Responsibilities

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Project Management Strategy & Governance

• Establish and embed project management best practices within ITS, ensuring standardization, governance, and strategic oversight of project execution.
• Act as a project management advisor to ITS leadership, providing coaching, training, and tools to support project success across teams.
• Own the ITS project intake and prioritization process, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and resource availability.
• Develop transparent reporting structures to communicate project status, risks, and milestones to senior leadership and key stakeholders.

Project & Portfolio Leadership

• Own and oversee the ITS project portfolio, ensuring projects are well-structured, strategically aligned, and effectively resourced.
• Manage financial, architectural, and technical aspects of projects to ensure predictable delivery within budget and schedule constraints.
• Lead large-scale IT projects from initiation to close, managing scope, risk, timeline, and stakeholder engagement.
• Support change management efforts by incorporating organizational change strategies that promote user adoption and minimize disruption.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work laterally with ITS colleagues, faculty, administrative leaders, and vendors to gather requirements, align expectations, and drive project success.
• Coordinate the ITS work package for the PeopleSoft to Workday migration, ensuring seamless integration and minimal disruption.
• Evaluate vendor proposals, statements of work, and implementation timelines for large-scale IT projects, working closely with procurement and technical leads.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Perform additional duties as needed in support of ITS initiatives.

Apply Core Competencies in the following areas of specialization:

• Strategic Project Leadership: Establish and refine project management frameworks within an IT organization, ensuring projects align with institutional priorities. Inspires and guides cross-functional teams with clarity and empathy.
• Lateral Influence: Lead cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment, driving initiatives without direct supervisory authority.
• Communication & Change Management: Translate complex project details into clear, actionable insights for stakeholders at all levels and support organizational change efforts.
• Process & Governance: Develop project intake, prioritization, and tracking mechanisms to enhance project visibility and alignment.
• Analytical Thinking: Identify root issues, anticipates risks, and proposes pragmatic solutions.
• Adaptability: Navigate shifting priorities with agility and focus.
• Collaboration & Relationship-Building: Value diverse perspectives with a proven ability to work effectively across teams, fostering trust, inclusivity, and shared ownership of project outcomes.
• Results-Driven Execution: Deliver measurable project outcomes and balance strategic goals with execution details.

LICENSES, TOOLS, AND EQUIPMENT:

Personal computers, Waterfall and Agile methodologies (including Scrum), ERP (i.e., PeopleSoft, Workday), ITSM, Change Management.

Required Qualifications

REQUIRED:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field.

2. Minimum of six years of professional experience in Information Technology.

3. Minimum of four years of experience in IT project management.

4. Demonstrated experience embedding or advancing project management practices within an IT organization.

5. Demonstrated successful track record managing large-scale, complex, multi-stakeholder IT projects with cross-functional teams.

6. Demonstrated ability to train, coach, and support leadership and cross-functional teams in adopting project management practices.

7. Demonstrated experience overseeing an IT project portfolio, and implementing prioritization frameworks, as well as evaluating vendor proposals and statements of work.

8. Demonstrated experience with Agile methodologies, including Scrum, and familiarity with hybrid approaches.

9. Demonstrated strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills.

10. Demonstrated proficiency in written communication skills.

11. Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships, collaborate across diverse teams and leadership levels, and navigate challenging conversations with a constructive, solutions-oriented approach.

12. Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

13. Demonstrated experience with organizational change management methodologies and their application within IT projects.

14. Demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups/populations.

Preferred Qualifications

PREFERRED:

1. Demonstrated experience working in or with higher education institutions.

2. Project management certifications such as PMP, PMI-ACP, or other recognized credentials.

3. Demonstrated familiarity with fit-gap analyses and coordinating cross-functional input for complex enterprise systems projects.

4. Demonstrated experience establishing or formalizing project management frameworks within an IT organization.

5. Demonstrated experience introducing or operationalizing project intake, prioritization, or governance processes.

6. Demonstrated understanding of project lifecycle methodologies and service frameworks such as ITSM and ITIL.

7. Demonstrated experience applying organizational change management principles within the context of IT projects.

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The University of Rhode Island is an equal-opportunity employer committed to the principles of affirmative action. It is the policy of the University of Rhode Island to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability.

Environmental Conditions

This position is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Posting Date 04/17/2025

Closing Date

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please attach the following 3 (PDF) documents to your online Employment Application:

(#1) Cover letter to address how your experience applies to developing a project

management framework and instilling a culture of project and portfolio management in an IT services organization.

(#2) Resume.

(#3) Other Document – References – the names and contact information of three professional references. (Note: this document is required even though references may be listed on the application).

Quicklink for Posting https://jobs.uri.edu/postings/15052

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